20131018

A Financier cake is J.-Y's all time favorite pastry. A small almond cake shaped like a gold bar, crispy on the outside and smooth and moist inside. In bakeries they are expensive, charged between 1 and 3 Euros a piece. I tried to make them a number of times and never could get the moist, smooth texture to come out right.

Finally, my friend Deyanira passed me a recipe which said to refrigerate the mixture over night, and then they came out perfect. The key to making great Financier Cake is to find the best almonds and refrigerate the dough a few hours before baking.

20131008

My friend Annaïck and I go to museums on the first Sunday of the month and do some sketches for fun. Because many museums and monuments offer free admission on the first Sunday of the month. We started this ritual two years ago and this Sunday, we went to the "musée de la chasse et de la nature". I drew a fox sleeping on an armchair. The friendly security guard told me that the fox had lived for seven years and has been resting peacefully on the armchair for the past seventy years. It came from the private collection of Mr. François Sommer, founder of this museum.This weekend was also "La nuit blanche" in Paris. After having a wonderful "Sukiyaki" dinner with friends, J.-Y. and I did not have the courage to go out.Mon amie Annaïck et moi allons au musée chaque premier dimanche du mois et dessinons pour le plaisir. Nous avons commencé ce rituel il y'a deux ans et ce dimanche nous sommes allées au "musée de la chasse et de la nature".J'y ai dessiné un renard endormi sur un fauteuil.Le gardien nous a gentiment expliqué que ce renard de 7 ans dormait sur un fauteuil depuis 70 ans. Il provient de la collection privée de M. François Sommer, fondateur du musée.Ce week-end avait lieu "La nuit blanche" à Paris. Après un bon dîner "Sukiyaki" avec des amis, J.-Y. et moi n'avons pas eu le courage de sortir.